Morphing vehicle user interface

摘要

A method for operating a vehicle user interface is provided, the user interface utilizing a touch-screen display mounted within the vehicle. In one aspect, the visual or visual/interactive properties of the interface change after the user initiates interface interaction. In another aspect, the interface allows a user to utilize any of a variety of different control interaction techniques, all to achieve the same function.

主权项

1. A method of operating a vehicle user interface, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a touch-screen display mounted within a vehicle; displaying a vehicle subsystem interface on said touch-screen display; and displaying a plurality of touch-screen function controllers on said vehicle subsystem interface, wherein each of said plurality of touch-screen function controllers corresponds to at least one of a plurality of vehicle subsystem functions, and wherein each of at least a portion of said plurality of touch-screen function controllers accept each of a plurality of different control interaction techniques to perform the same vehicle subsystem function, wherein said plurality of different control interaction techniques include at least a tapping control interaction technique and a touch-and-slide control interaction technique, wherein the same vehicle subsystem function performed by the plurality of different control interaction techniques has a value, wherein the tapping control interaction technique comprises increasing or decreasing the value depending on where a tap is made on the touch-screen display, and wherein the touch-and-slide control interaction technique comprises increasing or decreasing the value depending on a direction of a sliding motion made on the touch-screen display; wherein at least one of the portion of said plurality of touch-screen function controllers is configured so that an active input region expands during interaction whereas an appearance of the touch-screen display remains unchanged, such that for a preset period of time after a user touches the touch-screen function controller a larger region of the touch-screen display becomes the active input region although the appearance of the touch-screen display remains unchanged.